Entertainment

Toyota Scion iQ Electric Car Coming in 2012 [PICS]

Toyota's been teasing us with its Scion iQ electric car for more than a year. Now the company has officially announced the iQ will be sold in the United States in 2012.

If you're looking for a cute car, this micro-subcompact fits the bill nicely. But if you have a long commute, you might want to wait until battery technology improves. Toyota says the Scion iQ can only go 50 miles on a charge. That means this car will be hard-pressed to compete against the similar Nissan Leaf, whose battery can propel it about twice as far until it needs charging.

It's great news that this car has gone beyond the concept stage and will be sold in the U.S., but its price will be the determining factor in its success. Toyota just teamed up with Tesla Motors, but we're wondering if one of the obvious benefits of that partnership — the exchange of battery technology — will bear fruit in the Scion iQ.

That 50-mile range suggests it's not using the full complement of batteries inside the Tesla Roadster. Perhaps that's a good thing, because the Roadster's lithium-ion batteries are one of the items that pushes its price up to well into the six figures.

We've contacted Toyota to find out when this electric rollerskate will be available and at what price. The automaker hasn't shared that information with anyone yet, so we're not holding our collective breath.

As you'll notice in our gallery below, the iQ is scarcely larger than a golf cart:

Toyota Scion iQ Electric Car

Scion iQ

Scion iQ

Scion iQ

Scion iQ

Scion iQ

Scion iQ

Scion iQ

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